1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle steering column having a steering shaft that is supported by bearings for rotation within a housing or jacket tube.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical vehicle steering column includes a housing, or jacket tube, fixed in position in the vehicle. A steering shaft is supported in the jacket tube, by a plurality of bearings, for rotation relative to the jacket tube. The steering shaft is connected for rotation with the vehicle steering wheel. The inner races of the bearings are press fit on the steering shaft. The outer races of the bearings are pressed in position in the jacket tube.
It is desirable that the outer diameter of the shaft, the inner and outer diameters of the bearing, and the inner diameters of the bores in the jacket tube, all correspond closely, so that the shaft rotates smoothly in the jacket tube, and so that the shaft and jacket tube are concentric. This can require very close tolerances and concentricity in manufacturing the parts. It is known (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,179,473; 5,664,806; and 5,193,917) to use a tolerance ring in a steering column to accommodate variations in diameter. It is also known (U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,763) to secure a bearing in a housing with an injection molded plastic material.
The present invention is an apparatus comprising a steering shaft and a steering column member for supporting the steering shaft. A bearing supports the steering shaft for rotation relative to the steering column member. An adhesive fixes the bearing in position between the steering shaft and the steering column member. The adhesive is cured in a non-elastic state.